Machine for making wire fencing



(No Model.) s'sheens-shen 1. L. W. FREEMAN.

MACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FENGING.

WM WW 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

v L. W. FREEMAN. y MACHINE POR MAKING WLRB FENGING.

Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

N. PETERS, Pholljlbogmpher. Wuhingnn, DA C.

(No Model.) a sheetssheet s.

L. W. FREEMAN.

MAGHINE FOR MAKING WIRE PBNGING.

No. 395,890. Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

' UNiTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LEANDER IV. FREEMAN, OF LIBERTY, INDIANA.

IVACHINE FOR MAKING WIRE FENCING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,890, dated anuary 8, 1889.

Application filed May 1'7, 1888. Serial No. 274,162. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, LEANDER IV. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Iiiliierty, in the county of Union and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Looms for Making fire Feucing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines employed in the manufacture of wire fencing', wherein a series of vertical palings are connected together at equal intervals by parallel strands of wire running horizontally and twisted between the adjacent palings.

Itis the purpose of my invention to provide a comparatively simple, easily operated, and compact mechanism for the purpose specified, wherein. the twisters shall be operated by positive mechani sman d have intermittent action, it being my t'urther purpose to combine with the driving-gear devices for arrest ing and holding the shaft by which `motion is communicated to the twisting-dreads until the next paling is introduced.

It is my further purpose to provide simple means for spacing the palings and novel mechanism for operating the'spacer.

It is my further purpose to simplify t-he or ganization of machines of this class, to provide improved means for guiding' the palings to the twisting-heads, to reduce the number of parts composing said machine, and to so arrange an d combine the same that they sh all all be driven by a single master-wheel.

These ends I accomplish by the several novel features of construction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and then` definitely pointed ont in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. is a detail edge view of the master-wheel. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section showing the devices for advancing the manufactured web .as it comes from the twisters. Fig` G is a detail plan view of the twisters with the palingguides.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral l denotes the frame-work of the machine, upon which the operative parts are supported. Upon the front upright portion thereof is mounted a horizontal plate, 2, below which are arranged a series of sprockets, 3, having hubs et, which project through said plate. These sprockets are arranged at equal or suitable intervals, and are carried by shafts 5, having bearing in step-blocks 6 upon the lower horizontal base-piece of the frame, and also supported in a second plate,A 2, below said sprockets, said plates 2 and 2 constituting a support for the sprockets 3, carrying the twister-heads JC. Upon each shaft is mounted a cross-pin, '7, carrying spools S, from which the wires are taken. These wires are carried up on each side of the shaft through the plate 2n and through apertures 9 in the hubs or twisting-heads Li. Upon each parallel edge of the plate 2 is formed a ledge, 10, upon vwhich is mounted, one side of each twistinghead, a plate, l2, of metal or other suitable material having moderate elasticity. These plates are attached to the ledges lO'by one end and their other ends are converged to a point immediately beside the twisting-heads, a passage, 13, beingI allowed for the paling, which is guided thereby to a proper position between the wires carried by the twisting heads.

.Outside the parallel uprights l of the frame is arranged a vertical shaft, 14, stepped upon a bearing on the frameworl havin ga sprocket-wheel, l5, lying in the same plane with the sprockets A sprocket chain gears this wheel with the several sprockets of the twisters, said chain being carried alternately behind and in front of the latter and then returned to the driving-sprocket direct. The shaft 14 is provided with a bevel-gear meshing with a similar bevel, 16, upon a shaft, 17, which is driven by a .inaste1.'wl1eel, 18. Inasmuch as the twisters are revolved intermittingly and must remain at rest during a portion of the revolution of the master-wheel, I mount upon the latter a segmental toothed flange, 19, extending over an'are of suitable length on the periphery of the master-wheel. At each revolution this geared iiange engages a pinion, 20, on the shaft 17, and rotates the same a number of times, according to the length of the flange and the size of the pinion. In order to render the number of revolutions uniform and avoid accidental rotation,

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as well as to hold the pinion 2O in position to nlcsh accurately with the teeth of the flange as thc latter reaches it, I colnbine witll said pinion a device whicll slightly resembles the well-known Geneva stop, consisting ot'l a stop-plate, '21,rigid with the shaft and llavillg a concave face adapted to accurately lit the surface of a flange, E22, upoll the vertical Vl'ace ol the master-wheel outside the flange lil. 'lllis flange 22 ternlinates bctore it reaches the end ot' the gear-flanges, to enable the angle ol' the stop-plate to pass olii' and to pel-init the initial rotation ot' the pinion 2o. In a similar lnanller there is a space, 23, allowed between the otller end ot' the gear-flange and the stop-flange, the l'ornler beillg ot such length as to bring the stop-plate 2l into engagenlent witll the flange 22 as the pillion 20 rides of'i' the flange if). In this nlanner the twisters will always have exactly the sanle nunlber ot' revolutions, and there will be no danger ot' breakingl teeth out ot the pillioll or flange by the interlierenee ot the sallle.

As each twist is nlade,it is necessary to raise the palillg tronl the plate 2 ill order to draw it closely up between the wires alld oli' the twisting-hoads. rlilis movement oli' the paling should be unit'ornl ill order to properly space the pali'llgs, und lor this purpose I lnount ill suitable bearings, 24, a spaeillgsllatt,25, hav ing arnls 2o, which extend forward and downward and lie upon the plate 2 beneath the paling. flhe shalt 25 is rotated by a crankarul, 27, having a l'rictioll-rolh 2S, which at the propernlolnent is engaged bya cani-liange, ;".l, upon the vertical face ot' the master-wheel. 'ille arnls are tllrowll down by the action ot canll^lange 2U into the recesses Lo', Figs. l and l, so as lo rest on the plate fl between the hubs i alld the tree ends ot' the plates l2. When the roll 2S passes oft' the flange, the shaft is rocked alld the arllls raised by the tensioll oi a spring, Slt), acting upon a crafllk-a-rln, Il l, upoll the other end ot` the shaft 25. The palill g is thereby pushed closely up Ainto tll e crotch between the wires and held there, while the wires are twisted below it, whereupon the arnls drop and allot ller paling is introdl'lced. As the web is tforlned it is t'ed vertically by automaticgrippers 232, nlounted upon reciproeating supports 325, which are so connected with the uprights olf the lranle as to inlove treely lllereoll. Connected to said supports are pitnlen 2li, driven by crank-arms 35, actuated by a shalt, 3U. ',lhis shalt provided with a crank-arm, 37, having at its end a friction-roll, 3S, which engages witll a flange, 3), upon the outer face ol' the master-wheel, as shown in Fig. 3. As the wires are twisted bencatll the palings, the supports 323 rise, drawing the grippers 2:22 against the web and thereby advancing the latter with the upward nlovenlent of the grippers. Here it is supported until the flange 39 passes oft the roll 3S, whereupon the support i'alls by its own gravity, the grippers opening and releasing The flange 3U almost immediately the web.

rc-engages the roll on the crank 237 alld again raises the support. The conlpleted web passes over a guide-roll, it), upon the top of the traine, and is tllence carried to a take-up roll, il, upon wllicll it is wound. This takeup is actuated by a ratchet, 42, rigid upon its shal't, said ratchet being driven by a vibrating pawl, 423, Carried by a lever, it, t'nlcrulned upon a bearing, 45, and extending upon both sides thereot'. A cross-head, ifi, upon the sha'l'toff the n'laster-wheel, vibrates the lever it ill one direction, lit'ting the pawl -ifl to lnake a new engagement with the ratchet. The etlective nlovenlent of' the pawl is accomplished by a weight, t?, hullg upon the other elld ot' the lever. A stoppawl, -l-S, prevents the nnree illg of the wel).

Any suitable torni oli' nleasurill g apparatus, ett), nlay be con'lbined with the gllide-roll l-U and drivell by a gear, 5U, llpoll the shat't oli' said roll.

Il. The conll'lination,ill a lnachine lornlakillg wire fencing, ot' a series olf twistl-nr-heads having sprockets, a shaft having a sprocketwlleelrand a bevel-gear, all endless belt connecting the sprocket-wheel with the sprockets oi' the twister-heads, a shaft having a pinion and a bevelgear engaging the gear on the sprocket-wheel sh ai't, and a master-wheel haw illg teeth to interlnittingly rotate said pinion, substantially as described.

f3, The combination, with a l'evolvillg nlastcrwheel, ot' a series ot twister-heads, rising alld lalling supports having spring-grippers, a spacing-shat`t having arnls or lingers, and nleans, substantially as described, for interlnittingly rotatin the twister-heads, internlit tngly raising the gripper-sllpports, and Aintta'- nlittingly rocking the spacingsha'i'ft by the revolution ot the .master-wheel..

3. 'lhe colnbination, in a nlachine for inakin fences, ot` a series of twister-heads having sprockets, a shafft having a bevel-gear and a sprocket-whecl, all endless belt engaging the sprocket-wheel and alternately passing ill front ot' and behind the sprockets of the twist.- elf-heads, a shaft having a pinion and a bevelgear engaging thebevel-gearon the sprocketwheel shalt, and a nlastor-wlnnll having a seg nlental toothed [lange `l'or interlnittingly rotatillg the said pinion, substantially as described.

4. The conlbination, in a nlacllille for inaking wire fencing, of. a series ofi' twister-heads havin sprockets, a shaft having a sprocket wheel and a bevel-gear, an endless belt connectin the sprocket-wheel with the sprockets on the twister-heads, a shaft having a eoncavo stop-plate, a pinion and a bevel-gear engaging the gear on the sprocket-wheel, a 1naster-wheel having a segmental toothed flange to interlnittingly rotate the pinion, and a flange extending around the master-wheel and tel'lllillatillg at a short distance i'ronl the ends of' the toothed flange, substantially as described.

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5. The combination, with the intermittingly rotating' twister-heads and a master-wheel having' a cam-flange, of a spacing-shaft having arms or iingers and a crank-arm intermittingly operated by the cam-flange for turning the shaft to depress the arms or fingers, and a spring for turning the shaft to elevate the arms or fingers, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with intermittingly rotating twister-heads, of a master-wheel having a cain-iiange on its inner vertical face, a spacing-shaft having' at one end a crank-arm provided with a roller-stud operated by the calniiange, a spring, and a crank-arm on the spacing-shaft connected with the spring, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for making wire fencing'7 the combinatiomwith the twisting mechanism, of a feed for the completed web, consisting of a reciprocating support having cam-faced grippers pivotally mounted thereon, between which the web passes, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for making wire fencing, the combination, with the twisting mechanism, of a feed for the completed web, composed of a reciprocating support having cam-faced spring-actuated grippers pivotally mounted thereon, pitmcn actuating' the support, and a shaft vibrating the pitmen, said shaft having a crank-arm provided with a roll engaging a cam-flange on the outer vertical face of the master-wheel, substantially as described.

9. The combination, in a machine for making wire fencing', of intermittingly-rotating twister-heads and a support for said twisterheads, with guides for the palings consisting' of elastic plates connected at. one end with said support and having' their other ends converged toward the respective twister-heads, substantially as described.

In testimony'whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEANDER lV. FREEMAN.

Vit-nesses:

DANIEL T. SNYDER, MICHAEL GLEAsoN. 

